LA Galaxy to face Carolina RaihHawks in U.S. Open Cup

CARSON, Calif. (Wednesday, May 22, 2013) – The LA Galaxy will begin their quest for a third Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship on Wednesday, May 29 when they take on the NASL’s Carolina RailHawks in the tournament’s Third Round. That game, which will be played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., kicks off at 4:15 p.m. (PT).

Carolina advanced to the Third Round of the Open Cup with a 3-1 win over the PDL’s Carolina Dynamo at WakeMed Soccer Park on Tuesday night. This will be the second straight season in which the Galaxy and RailHawks meet in the Third Round of the Open Cup with Carolina upsetting the Galaxy at home by the score of 2-1 in the 2012 Open Cup.

Currently in first place in the NASL with a 3-1-2 record for 11 points, the RailHawks, who are coached by former FC Dallas head coach Colin Clarke. Clarke’s squad features more than 10 players with past MLS experience, including midfielder Austin da Luz and defender Julius James while forward Brian Shriver, is the NASL’s leading goal scorer with five goals in six games.

The Galaxy have entered the Open Cup, which is being played for the 100th time, every year since 1999, winning the tournament in 2001 and 2005 while reaching the Open Cup Final on two other occasions. Owning a 24-12-1 all-time record in the Open Cup, the Galaxy have only ever lost to non-MLS competition three times in the history of the tournament and are 6-2-0 all-time in the Third Round.

If the Galaxy advance past Wednesday’s Third Round game with the RailHawks, they will host the winner of the game between Chivas USA and the USL Pro’s Los Angeles Blues in the Fourth Round of the Open Cup on Wednesday, June 12. That game would be played at StubHub Center with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Following their longest road trip of the season, The Galaxy are back at The Home Depot Center this Sunday at 8 p.m. when they host the Seattle Sounders FC in a game that will be followed by a postgame fireworks extravaganza. The game and postgame fireworks show are presented by National History Museum of Los Angeles County, with music for the fireworks courtesy of 102.7 KIIS-FM. For more information about this game or to purchase tickets to any Galaxy home game, please visit www.lagalaxy.com/gameday.